Thursday
Jul082010
UPDATED Middle East: CNN Senior Editor Fired over Twitter Remark about Lebanon's Sheikh Fadlallah
Thursday, July 8, 2010 at 9:28 
UPDATE 1545 GMT: Well, well, it looks like the British Ambassador to Lebanon, Frances Guy, could be in the firing line after her note on Grand Ayatollah Fadlallah. An Israeli Foreign Ministry official has told the website YNet News that it would be "interesting" to see how the British Foreign Office reacts.The Foreign Office line with Tim Marshall of Sky News is that Guy had "profound disagreements with the Sheiks views on attacking Israel". While CNN's Nasr had praised a "Hezbollah Giant", the British Ambassador only praised Fadlallah for his spiritual work and interfaith dialogue.
UPDATE 1500 GMT: Analysts are noting, amidst the furour over Octavia Nasr's comment on Grand Ayatollah Fadlallah, that both Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and Lebanese President Sa'ad Hariri have offered praise for the late cleric.
What had caught my attention earlier this week, however, was the public note posted by Britain's Ambassador to Lebanon, Frances Guy, in her blog on the Foreign Office's website: "The Passing of Decent Men". Guy wrote:
When you visited [Fadlallah] you could be sure of a real debate, a respectful argument and you knew you would leave his presence feeling a better person. That for me is the real effect of a true man of religion; leaving an impact on everyone he meets, no matter what their faith....The world needs more men like him willing to reach out across faiths, acknowledging the reality of the modern world and daring to confront old constraints. May he rest in peace.
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For now I am going to refrain on comment about this episode, leaving it to readers to make assessments both of the case and of its significance. I do want to note that, following Octavia Nasr both in her work for CNN and her use of social media, I have found her a responsible, thoughtful, and engaging journalist. I also note Rami Khouri's perspective on Grand Ayatollah Fadlallah, the leading Shi'a cleric in Lebanon, as a counterpart to other representations of Fadlallah's religious and political views.
From Mediaite:
CNN’s Senior Editor of Mideast Affairs Octavia Nasr is leaving the company following the controversy caused by her tweet in praise of Hezbollah leader Sayyed Mohammed Hussein Fadlallah.
Mediaite has the internal memo, which says “we believe that her credibility in her position as senior editor for Middle Eastern affairs has been compromised.”
Nasr tweeted this weekend: “Sad to hear of the passing of Sayyed Mohammed Hussein Fadlallah… One of Hezbollah’s giants I respect a lot.”
After a blog post expanding on her position, CNN promised the issue was “serious” and would “be dealt with accordingly.” That’s apparently her exit from CNN. Here’s an internal memo obtained by Mediaite:
Read rest of article....
Reader Comments (9)
Yes, a man in full. Who praised the murder of rabbinical students:
"the heroic operation in Jerusalem proved that the mujahedeen in Palestine are able to hit the Zionists hard."
No doubt for Mr. Khouri this remark doesn't really count against Fadlallah. Does it for you, Scott? And if so, a lot or a little?
For now, another contextual comment from Juan Cole:
http://www.juancole.com/2010/07/maliki-olivia-nasr-both-praised-fadlallah.html" rel="nofollow">http://www.juancole.com/2010/07/maliki-olivia-n...
"Fadlallah had severe flaws, including his condoning of suicide bombings against Israelis. But he condemned the 9/11 attacks and the Morocco suicide bombings as pure terrorism, and that has to be reported, too. (It mostly wasn’t). And, he authorized Muslim women to actively defend themselves against domestic violence, which was the thing Nasr had in mind."
QUOTING -- "Fadlallah had severe flaws, including his condoning of suicide bombings against Israelis. But he condemned the 9/11 attacks and the Morocco suicide bombings as pure terrorism, and that has to be reported, too (It mostly wasn’t). And, he authorized Muslim women to actively defend themselves against domestic violence, which was the thing Nasr had in mind."
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That's kind of like praising the heads of the New York crime families for keeping their neighborhoods clean and safe while overlooking all the other stuff. Come on, Mr. Cole. Give us a break.
so much for freedom of speech? where are the proponents of liberty and free speech in support of her and that other veteran of the white house press who was also pilloried for her honest and frank statement. It seems freedom of speech is only to be protected for those who want to spread hatred against Muslims and Islam as with the likes of Geert Wilders, Hirsi, Rushdie and so on.....
It is about time there were tehran style freedom marches in washington? dare you publish my comment?
Exactly. If a Rabbi who thought Baruch Goldstein was a great guy died, you'd get laughed out of the room if you said, "well, but he was against other terrorist attacks and wife-beating." And rightly so. Am I wrong, Scott? I wish you'd be clear: I'm saying 1) you'd be right to mock such nonsense, 2) that is exactly the defense of Fadlallah, and 3) it requires holding to a deeply invidious double standard. Which of these is wrong?
there are many rabbis and extreme zionists in israel who do regard baruch goldstein as a hero. and yes the world we live in is full of double standards. The old adage of ' one man's freedom fighter being another man's terrorist comes to mind'. But it is Israel that occupies Palestinian land not the other way round and it is the US that arms and funds as well as defends its thuggish actions as on the peace flotilla.
Should there be a critique of Fadlallah's significance and his religious and political views? Absolutely.
Should that critique be undertaken with a knowledge of the context of Shi'a religion, developments in the Middle East, the Israel-Lebanon and Israel-Palestine conflicts, and the Lebanese situation from the 1970s to the present? Yes.
Did the firing of Octavia Nasr do anything to advance critique and discussion, in general and specifically in the American media? No.
Did a good journalist with many years of service deserve to be fired because of a comment on Twitter? No.
Should there be a critique of Fadlallah's significance and his religious and political views? Absolutely.
Should that critique be undertaken with a knowledge of the context of Shi'a religion, developments in the Middle East, the Israel-Lebanon and Israel-Palestine conflicts, and the Lebanese situation from the 1970s to the present? Yes.
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But there won't be because people in the West are becoming increasingly afraid to criticize Islam and Muslims - no matter how factual the criticism might be.
http://archive.arabnews.com/?page=1§ion=0&article=77052&d=30&m=1&y=2006" rel="nofollow">http://archive.arabnews.com/?page=1§ion=0&a...
Blossom, actually should nothing to do with the season. A lot of time in his life is confused, find a better reason to let himself not to want to some other people think unimportant matters.
We all like a clown, in our lifetime playing five balls, the five balls is work, health, family, friends, and spirit. Five balls with only one is rubber, fall can play up and that is work. The other four balls are use made of glass, the off, broken... vesynx vesynx - Belstaff Abbigliamento UOMO.